This report covers July 8 thru July 22, two full weeks for me and eight days
for Brenda. All play is at the quarter level with a mix of DB, DW, and KBJW.
Results are given as Day/Trip.
July 8 - Scored a bump on our Nashville to Las Vegas Southwest flight and on
arrival scored a free upgrade on a two week rental from Dollar. A sign of
continuing good fortune? Read on.
Checked in Orleans on a three day offer including suite, show tickets, and a
$150 dollar food credit. Played the Bonus Deuce Wild progressive too long with
the meter in the $1700 range.
Day 1 Results Don -340/-340 Brenda -185/-185
July 9 - Played about seven hours more on the BDW progressive. At $3284 it
was hit on the third hand played by a young lady who looked barely old enough to
be there. I offered congratulations but secretly hoped her acne and zits
would follow her well into middle age.
Day 2 Results Don -320/-660 Brenda -775/-960
July 10 - Saw the Louie Anderson show at Orleans. I found it fun but not
nearly as fun as the $1564 dealt royal I got afterwards on the 9/7 DB progressive
to break a two trip royal drought. Our celebration, among other things,
included a midnight dip in the Orleans pool. The pool is open twenty-four hours a
day although the lifeguards are not on duty after 9 PM, which is a good thing.
Day 3 Results Don 1120/460 Brenda Even/-960
July 11 - Left Orleans and checked in Main Street Station for 5 days on a
silver card. Dreading the thought of an MSS room after spending three days in an
Orleans suite Brenda sweet talked the front desk attendants into a free suite
upgrade on check in. We are getting good with this free upgrade stuff.
Day 4 Results Don -240/220 Brenda -100/-1060
July 12 - Attended the SHG meeting at LVH. These get together are always fun
and I encourage everyone to attend one. We are a diverse group of people who
share a common interest in video poker. Many members have a wide range of
interest and are experts on a number of subjects with video poker being just one.
Day 5 Results Don 60/280 Brenda -400/-1460
July 13 - I got a royal today on the 4700 coin KBJW at Charlie's East. This
was my first 4700 coin royal on my limited play of KBJW.
Getting royal flushes for me has striking similarities to sex. Both have
certain milestones associated with them and some are certainly more memorable than
others. But, like sex, the royals I think about the most are my last one and
my next one.
An ACE attendant and the required witness hand paid my $1199 royal and told
me to play off the hand. After giving them a nominal tip I hit the deal button
and began my pursuit of the next one.
Day 6 Results Don 980/1260 Brenda -320/-1780
July 14 - Host Nancy DeGregario sent a Sunset Station limo to MSS to take us
to Sunset for a few hours of play. We had not stayed or played there and
wanted establish a relationship. Although we felt like fat cats being picked up at
a casino by another casino's limo we were disappointed to learn our three
hours of FPDW play at Sunset netted less than half the amount of theoretical win
they need to comp a room. Still, Nancy was quite nice and professional and
comped lunch for us before we took the limo back to MSS.
Day 7 Results Don -560/700 Brenda -420/-2280
July 15 - Today was Brenda's last day this trip and, bless her heart, she
continued to defy the odds of advantage play. Brenda plays better than I do but
did not have a winning day this trip. I tried to console her by reminding her
of the trip in which she won thousands including three royals in one evening.
Didn't help much.
Day 8 Results Don -230/470 Brenda -130/-2330
July 16 - Took Brenda to the airport for her SWA flight back to Nashville and
nearly, perhaps, caused a security breach. I'm not sure about these things so
maybe some of you airline employees can set me straight.
I had previously planned for both of us to go home today but I decided to
stay longer for the VP tournament at MSS. SWA would not split the itinerary to
let me cancel my flight without a large difference in price so I kept the
reservation as it was and made other arrangements for my return. At the SWA ticket
counter we checked in Brenda and the luggage, including the bag I would not
need. I also checked in to get a boarding pass so I could go to the gate with her
and do the "bye honey, I love you" thing and make sure her flight left
without any problems. After everyone boarded the plane it continued to stay longer
than usual at the gate. I heard a lot of announcements about "if anyone is
holding a boarding pass for Southwest Flight XXX you must report to Gate 4
immediately." Then I heard my name over the PA asking me to come to the gate counter.
Then I thought, "oh s..., there is luggage on that plane in my name and I am
breaching security by not being on the plane with it." Then I thought they are
going to make everyone get off the plane and they will all be furious with
me. Then I thought they are going to close the C gates and Southwest will sue me
for lost revenue. Then I thought they are going to shut McCarran down and
make everyone evacuate the airport. Then I thought people are going to die
because they are stuck outside in 120 degree heat and cannot get in the airport.
Then I thought by the end of the day everyone would see my likeness and hear my
name on CNN. "Good evening, this is Paula Zahn in New York. In Las Vegas today
McCarran International airport was shutdown for several hours by a dumbass
from Tennessee who...." But then, thankfully, the plane finally pushed back from
the gate I got the hell out of there.
What I did not know was that flight attendants on the plane were also calling
my name on the PA before it left the gate and an embarrassed Brenda had to
tell them her husband had decided to not go home just yet.
Out of that mess and back to advantage play VP, I checked out of MSS and into
Gold Coast using two days of a three day offer including $50 dollar food
credit.
Day 9 Results Don 60/530
July 17 - At Gold Coast I counted 18 of the older 10/7 DB coin droppers.
Everything else has less than 100% return. I basically stiffed them and played the
FPDW progressive at Palms. Also at Palms I took the free table poker class. I
recommend this for anyone who has an interest in table poker and has not
played. The one hour class is taught by one of their dealers named Sandi who is
also a player. She covers the mechanics of the game and touches a bit on
strategy. After the class the students can begin play against each other with a $20
buy in.
Played in the Thursday Horseshoe VP tournament. This was my first tournament
experience. The game for this tournament is DDB with the players having 15
minutes to play 1000 credits. There are five preliminary rounds of about 18
players in each round. That number is culled to 18 for the final round. I made the
cut and finished fifth but only the top three paid money. Anyone earning 5000
points on their slot club card the previous week gets a tournament entry.
Others can use the LVA coupon or pay the $10 buy in.
Day 10 Results Don -200/330
July 18 - Checked out of GCS and back into MSS for four days and the VP
tournament. Deuces for me have been rare this trip but I have held up well with
more royals than usual. At one of the three MSS quarter based machines, after
playing just a few hands, I hit my third royal for the trip. I guess if I still
smoked this would have been a good time to light up but since I don't I took
little time to catch my breath and savor the moment by watching the credits ring
up before beginning the quest for the next "next one."
Day 11 Results 690/1020
July 19 - Played in the MSS video poker tournament today. In this tournament
players play two 20 minute rounds of DDB in which they have 1500 credits to
play in each round. The score of the two rounds is added together. The top prize
was $5000 and the top 30 places paid money with about 150 players
participating.
The evening before the tournament I hung out at MSS and hobnobbed with other
tournament players and list members. We compared thoughts on how to play the
tournament. We all acknowledged luck was the major factor in a tournament of
short duration. Still, I came away from the discussions smugly thinking a
knowledgeable player, such as myself, had a better shot to win than a novice.
In the first round as we waited to begin play a clueless little old lady sat
down between me and list member Alan of Seattle. She asked Alan what the 1500
credits on her machine was for. He explained. She then asked what the 20
minute timer on her monitor meant. He explained. Then play began and after a few
seconds of silence except for the sound of machine buttons being pushed the CLOL
exclaimed, "Oh boy 4 Aces on the deal! Isn't that nice." So much for
strategy. Things did not get any better for me or Alan as we both finished out of the
money.
List member Alex from Boston finished second collecting $1250 and another
list member, Ray from Washington, also finished in the money.
After the tournament I continue my inability to find a set of deuces. I'm
told two of them are red and two are black but I really don't know.
Day 12 Results Don -650/370
July 20 - Attended to vpfree luncheon at MSS. This monthly get together was
attended by about a dozen members. I like the smaller crowd as it allows time
to talk with everyone there. Tom and Susan do a nice job hosting this event.
Later today, walking back to MSS from Fremont Street along Main Street, a car
with Colorado tags slowed down in front of me and pulled to the curb. As I
approached I saw it was being driven by two young women. The passenger side
window rolled down and a pretty, smiling face turned toward me. My first thought
was "wow, I have dreamed of opportunities like this" but before I could
mentally draft what the first paragraph of my Dear Penthouse letter might sound like
the pretty face at the passenger window said, "Excuse me Sir. Do you know
where the nearest Starbucks is?" I knew my relationship with them would be short
term when she called me "Sir" so I politely suggested they try one of the
upscale hotels like Golden Nugget for signature coffees and watched them drive
away. Holy Mochas!
My luck with the deuces was no better than my luck with the ladies and I
finished the day barely ahead for the trip.
Day 13 Results Don -36-/10
July 21 - I know I have been in downtown LV too long when the homeless people
I see during my morning fitness walks are giving me a wave of recognition.
Even the crazy lady who spends her morning in the front of the Plaza animatedly
giving holy hell to someone only she can see slows down her rant for just a
moment as I walk by. I need to go home.
Alan from Seattle showed me a nice collapsible cooler Four Queens was giving
to players earning 100 points. Earning 100 points on the quarter 10/7 DB
progressive at 4Q is easy so I went there to get mine. For only $180 it is a fine
cooler.
Four of a kinds in DB and deuces in FPDW continued to be elusive and I
finished the trip in negative territory.
Day 14 Results Don -390/-380
'Till September
Don Forsythe
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